THE HEALTH STATUS OF DINERS WHO

ATTEND CHARITY MEALS

Rebecca Greig

April 2015

Assumed that the diners had mental health and addiction issues

Traditionally charity meals have been a place where no questions are asked

Definition of a Charity Meal Soup kitchens Not a food bank

International Research charity meals, soup kitchens, community meals,

community dinners, food bank, food security, homelessness, addiction, mental health, poverty and New Zealand

health and poverty

Anthropolgist Irene Glasser

“Although soup kitchens are mentioned in passing scholarly articles (for example, recruiting interviewees in soup kitchens) they are not often studied in any depth” Glasser, April 2014

POVERTY IN NEW ZEALAND

The widening gap between the poor and wealthy

The more unequal a society becomes the more disadvantaged poor people are

Inequality, not just poverty

WHO (2010) poor people get sicker and die quicker than others

Donnelly (2009)

Drugs, alcohol and smoking ease the pain of poverty – then the cycle of addiction and ill-health

QUESTIONNAIRE

Demographics

Previous contact with Mental Health/AOD service

How they rate their general health

Kessler 10-item scale (K-10)

Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)

Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test-Revised

(CUDIT-R)

RESULTS N=40

Male = 34 Female = 6

NZ European = 19 Maori = 16 Pacific People = 2 European = 3

Currently single = 37 In a relationship = 3

RESULTS N=40

Live alone 23 Live with others (flatting/boarding) 15 Live with partner 1 Live with their young children 1

RESULTS N=40

Rented a room 13 Own home or rental 9 Boarding/flatting 7 Men’s night shelter 7 Vehicle 3 Tent 1

RESULTS N=40

Job seekers benefit 24 Supported Living Benefit 10 ACC Payment 2 No income 2 Student hardship allowance 1 Emergency benefit 1

GENERAL HEALTH STATUS, N=40

Cut arm in drunk altercation Reaction to medications Pneumonia Punched in eye Two new hips, arthritis in back Broken jaw Allergy problems Car accident Operations Overdosing/Self-harm The bends from diving Head injury Abdominal pain Giving birth to baby

Gout Cut forearm in fight Breakdown Infectious dog bite Tonsils at 18 years old Two broken legs Both shoulders, osteoarthritis from abuse as a

child Alcohol induced seizures (comatose not

withdrawals) Motorbike accident, in coma for three months

ONE DINERS MEDICATION LIST

Laxsol tablets Sodium cromoglycate eye drops Tramadol Hydrochloride (pain relief) Oxycodone (pain relief) Amitrip (antidepressant) Simvastation (for high cholesterol) Oxynorm (opioid agonist - pain management) Nupentin (anticonvulsant)

RESULTS N=40

Assessed by a Mental Health Service 23

Assessed by an AOD or Gambling service 28

Assessed by both MH and AOD/Gambling 12

Currently a patient of a MH or AOD/Gambling service 12

THE OVERLAP BETWEEN MODERATE TO SEVERE MENTAL DISORDER, PROBLEMATIC USE OF ALCOHOL AND HAZARDOUS USE OF CANNABIS, N=39

Problematic use of alcohol Hazardous use of cannabis

6 11

1

2

2

5 Did not meet criteria

7

Moderate to severe mental disorder

COMPARISON

NZ Health Survey 2013/14 91.4% rated their health as excellent, very good or good

17.7% adult drinkers compared to 67.5% L&F

L&F diners two times more likely to be experiencing moderate to severe mental disorder than adult population of NZ

77.5% used nicotine compared to 19.9% of NZ adults

WHAT NOW?

Results not surprising!

A place where no questions are asked…?

32 meet criteria 12 currently engaged in treatment

Distribution of clothes, food to take-away, basic first-aid, assistance to fill in forms, haircuts?

Outreach workers – MH – AOD – WINZ ??

THANK YOU

Professor Doug Sellman Associate Professor Simon Adamson

Eileen Varley, Regional Manager, Addiction Service NMDHB

Anglican Diocese of Nelson, Te Kotahitanga and the St John’s College Trust Board for scholarship funding.

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